Thread: soft wash--vinyl siding

I soft washed a light grey vinyl sided house today and the vinyl on the back of the house which catches a lot of sun, had streaks in it that were not there before I washed it.......the rest of the house was fine and I have not had that problem happen before.....my 55 gallon tank mix consists of 6 gallons 12.5 percent sodium hypochlorite and 1 quart greenwash........is there something I could do to the vinyl to restore faded color?......and does my mix sound about right?..........I double my mix for asphalt roof cleaning with great results.....Clay

The correct method taught in the industry is to wet the surface well from bottom up and then apply your cleaner from the bottom up. Allow for the proper dwell time and rinse from the top down. Chemicals can leave streaks on surfaces when not properly applied. When estimating a job you should perform a "finger test" and if there is oxidation you should determine whether the job can be done and then inform the customer either way. We also always ask how old the siding is so we have more information as well.

Oxidation can be removed. I like F13 for this. It helps emulsify the oxidation and allows for simple brushing or low pressure rinsing away. Other chemicals that work well on oxidation are butyl based.

That said, this is considered restoration and not basic cleaning. Adjust for pricing as you will be there 4 times longer on a restore. The number one reason we wash with LOW pressure is not to disturb oxidized surfaces.

And yes, always apply soap from bottom up and rinse top down to AVOID streaking.

Elemonator and 12% is house wash of choice at the moment. Lowest cost and best concentration of surfactant out there.